Starter bottle fruit juice

Whatever type of juice you choose, make sure it does not contain sorbic acid (sorbate) or benzoic acid. These will inhibit fermentation. Frozen concentrates should not contain these, but apparently are rare in the UK. If it contains sulfites (and not the preservatives mentioned above), you can get it to work by stirring or pouring between containers several times to "drive it out".

Perhaps you can get some apple cider in season that doesn't contain preservatives and then freeze for winemaking use through the year.

Stephen

This is because for a good few years virtually all the juices sold in the UK contain sodium metabisulphide which kills bacteria (yeast included). you'd have to look at all the labels of juice to ensure that you'd find one without it - although I havent found one yet.

McKevvy

Sodium metabisulphiTe is the same sulphite you get in campden tablets- they won't stop a fermentation unless there's way too much of it.

I rarely have trouble getting juices to ferment, but I usually stick to the tetrapack ones (which contain no preservatives).

Well theres far too much of it to allow a fermentation occur. I used to regularly make apple wine from conc then suddenly I couldnt get it to ferment. When I examined the label I realised why.

McK.

Keep an eye out for juices that contain frutose corn sryup. This corn sugar does not ferment, so you need to dilute the juice by half and then add you own sugar.

Bullshit. High fructose corn syrup is about 95% fermentable.